1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for heating food. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus having a heating element and a humidifier for heating and humidifying food held within a food warming cabinet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are presently many methods of warming food subsequent to cooking and of maintaining food in a warm state prior to serving. Food is sometimes warmed above "hot plates" or gas burners. Some restaurants use heat lamps or heating elements located above the food to keep it warm. These techniques are effective for food promptly served but result in food drying if the food is left exposed to such heat sources for an extended period of time. This type of food drying is the result of moisture escaping (evaporating from) the heated food and passing to the surrounding atmosphere.
To overcome the undesirable effect of food drying, food is sometimes warmed above a heated water reservoir from which steam is driven upward around the warming food. While this method eliminates much of the food drying, it creates an excess moisture problem in that steam rising tends to saturate many foods such as toast and bread products. As a result much of the food warmed by water steam techniques becomes overly moist and soggy.
To hold food for long periods of time food warming cabinets are frequently used. Food warming cabinets are generally maintained closed until the food held therein is served. The enclosure of the food is intended to minimize food drying by preventing moisture escaping (evaporating from) the warmed food from passing to the surrounding atmosphere. This method is not entirely satisfactory, however, because food within the cabinet continues to dry until the humidity level inside the cabinet reaches an equilibrium level at the cabinet temperature after which food drying essentially stops leaving food with considerably less than its natural moisture content.
A pan of water could be inserted inside a food warming cabinet and allowed to eventually evaporate. However, before the air could absorb the evaporated water to increase the airs' humidity sufficiently, the foods within the cabinet would have dried considerably.
The foregoing problems are readily solved by the present invention which humidifies while heating the food thereby eliminating or effectively minimizing the moisture loss from food.